Coconut Cake

November 26, 2013

Cake:

• 2 tablespoons softened butter, for pans
• 2 ¼ cups cake flour, plus more for pans
• 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
• 6 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces

Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter and flour 2 (9 by 2-inch) round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.
Whisk together the milk, egg whites, vanilla bean seeds and vanilla extract in a medium bowl.
In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. With mixer running at low speed, add the butter, one piece at a time and continue beating until mixture resembles moist crumbs. Add all but ½ cup of milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed until the mixture is pale and fluffy, about 1 ½ minutes. With mixer on low speed, add remaining ½ cup of the milk mixture, increase speed to medium and beat 30 seconds more. Scrape sides of bowl and mix for 20 seconds longer. Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans – smooth the tops.

Bake 22 to 24 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a small knife around the side of the pan and invert cakes onto the baking rack, removing parchment paper, and let cool completely, about 45 minutes.

Coconut Simple Syrup:

• 1 ½ cups coconut water
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Bring coconut water and sugar to a boil. Cook until the mixture is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Let cool.

Coconut Custard:

• ¾ cup whole milk
• ¾ cup unsweetened coconut milk
• ½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped
• 4 large egg yolks
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons coconut rum (Malibu)
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Combine the milks and vanilla bean and seeds simmer over low heat. Whisk the yolks, sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl. Slowly whisk the warm milk into the egg mixture then return the mixture to the pot over medium heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly, until thickened.
Scrape the mixture into a bowl and whisk in the rum and vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 2 hours.

Coconut Filling:

• ¾ cup coconut custard – cold
• ¾ cup cold whipped cream

Coconut Buttercream:

• 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• ⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar
• ¾ cup coconut custard (cold)
• Pinch fine sea salt

To Assemble: Using a long serrated knife, slice each cake horizontally into 2 layers. Reserve 1 of the flat bottom layers for the top of the cake. Place another layer on a cardboard round cut side up and brush with some of the coconut simple syrup. Spoon ⅓ of the coconut filling onto the cake and using a small offset metal spatula, spread it into an even layer, leaving a ½-inch border around the edge of the cake. Repeat with 2 more layers. Brush the cut side of the reserved cake layer with the remaining syrup. Place the layer cut side down on top of the cake.

Frost the sides and top of the cake with the buttercream. Pat 1 cup coconut onto the sides of the cake and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup coconut on the top of the cake.